Camera get stuck trying to get into No.2 containment vessel

January 24, 2017

Fukushima camera probe hits a snag

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170124_22/

Workers attempting to get a better look inside a damaged reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have encountered a problem.

On Tuesday they inserted a camera in a pipe leading into the container vessel of the No. 2 reactor, with the aim of capturing footage of molten fuel inside.

But plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company says the camera, which is marginally smaller than the pipe, quickly became stuck.

TEPCO says a simulated trial run went off without a hitch. The utility will investigate what went wrong before deciding whether to try again.

Workers need a clearer picture of the debris to determine how best to remove it, an important step in the decommissioning process for the 3 reactors that suffered meltdowns.